St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
DRAMATIC DRIFT.

though MISS OLCOTI Has Detll DclOTo
the public as dramatic star less than
three years, she has achieved reputa-
ton which ranks her among the first Of
her profession.
"TheodOra" was originally written by
NJ. SARDoU for Nine. BERNHARDT, and
Sits production by her is still regarded by
sthe admirers of that eminent artist as
one of her most artistic achievements.
Miss OLCoTT had studied the part UNI
der SAEDoU'S immediate instruction.
and had played it before she ever saw
BERNHARDT in the part, and still plays
it as by her originally conceived and
elaborated. 1t was M. SARDOU'S wish to
have ''TheOdOra" presented on the
American stage with all the accompany
ing magnificence of scenery and cos
tuning with which it was produced i'll
Paris, and Miss OLCOTT, being in the
possession of handsome fortune,
undertook, on her own account, to com
ply with the authors wishes, She gives
the play with, perhaps, the most costly
stage setting and paraphernalia OF any
splayt that has ever been produced i'll this
country.
The Theodore of history gave ample
scope to dramatiSt with the genius OF
SARDOU. Born and bred in circus,
Theodore afterwards graced . throne.
The first scene in SARDOU'S play pre-
SentS her surrounded by SplendOr in the
palace. Among the court favorites is
AntOnina, the wife of BeliSarius, and
who was also a companion of Theodore
i'll the hippodrOme. AntOnina confesseS
to Theodore that she has won her huS-
band by means of love philter. Theo-
dora determines to win the love of her
husband, Justinian, by the same
means, and resorts to an old sOr-
cereSs called Tamia to procure
the drug. The sOrceress rec
ognizeS her as the juggler Of the circus:
AT this period Byzantium is divided
into two factions known as the Blues
and the Greens. The former those who
are faithful to the Emperor Justinian,
and the latter the adheTentS of Hypa-
patiuS. Adrian, who is a leader in the
latter faction, is handsome, gay officer,
and accidentally meeting with Theo-
dora, neither knowing the others
identity. they mutually fall in love. He
makes known to her plot for captur-
ing and dethrOning the emperOr,a and she
defeats it. When the next day he rec
OgnizeS her among the royal party at
the hippOdrOme, and learns that she IS
the empress whose coronation anniver-
Sary is being celebrated, his love turns
to hatred. lie openly den0unceS her
and is arrested and condemned
to death. Theodore saves his
rebellion follows, during which the
son of Tamia, the SOrcereSS, is hanged
by the order of Justinian. To avenge
her sons death the sOrceress supplies
Theodore with a poison instead OF a
love philter, which she expects to be
given to JuStinian. Theodore is anX-
ious now to win the love of Adrian and
gives him the supposed philter, and he
dies III agony from the effects OF the
poison. The play ends with the eXecu-
ton of Theodore by order of Justin
ian, who has discovered her love for
his hated rival.
The National Opera company closed
a successful season in Kansas City last
night. This week will be divided be
tween Leayenw0rth, St. Joseph, Lin
coin and Omaha, giving three perform
anceS III the Exposition building in the
latter city. The company will come di-
rect from Omaha to st. Paul i'll its two
special trains of twentY-one cars.
-
Manager SCOTT will remove two rows
of front seats from the parquette OF the
| Grand next week to give space for the
National Opera orchestra. which num-
berS fifty inStrumentaists. This Or
cheStra was specially organized for the
National Opera company by GUSTAV
HINEICHS, the musicians being selected
from the principal orchestral societies
of New York. together with few for
eign importatiOns, the latter including
the great English harpiSt, JOHN CHE
SHIRE.
The following is a complete list of
the principal artists that will appear in
the operas of the National cOmpany'S
repertoire for the st. Paul engagement:
Monday. Dec. 10, Nero" EMMA JUCH.
BERTHA PIERSON. CLARA POOLE,
AMANDA FABRIs, HELEN LUDINGTON,
EI.oI SYLVIA, CHARLES BASsETT,
WILLIAM LUDWIG, WILLIAM MERTON,
and GEORGE Ii. BRODERICK; Tuesday,
Aida" Nine. FURSCH-MADI, CLARA
POOLE. BARTON MCGUCKIN, WILLIAM
LUDWIG, FRANK NETTA, GEORGE III.
BRoDERICK; Wednesday matinee,
Queen of Sheba." Nine. FURSCH-MADI,
BERTHA PIERsoN. AL0NZo SToDDARD,
CHARLES BASSETT, BRODERICK and
MERTON: Wednesday evening, Faust"
EMMA JUCH, AMANDA FABRIS, AGNES
PERRING, BARTON MCGUCKIN, FRANK
VETTA. and ALONZO STODDARD.
AMELIA FRANCHI will be the premiere
in the bacchanal ballet i'll Faust"
with Mines. CICONDIO, RIVA, CA PEI
LETTI and BESESTI, from La Scala, of
Milan, as first dancers, and a corps de
ballet of forty coryp9ees'
Miss OLCOTr is one of the few women
on the stage who don't have to depend
on her profession for living. She is
the daughter of BrOOklyn'S most emf
nent physician. and owns in her own
name property which yields her an in
come of $4,000 a year. At sixteen
wears of age Miss OLCOTT had acquired
some reputation in literary circles as
the author of short poems and prose
sketches. which were published in
the leading New York journals.
While still in her teens she made up her
mind to enter the dramatic profession,
and applied herself to a study of stage
art. Her debut was made in New York
and her success so decided that. with
the exception of one short tour, the
three years of her professional life have
been spent i'll the metropolis, where she
has PLAYED successive engagements i'll
the leading theaterS of that city. Her
brilliant production OF theodore, at
Niblo's was the sensation of the New
Yolk theatrical season la;t year.
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10 MURPHY is said to be making more
clear money than any of the travelling
stars. He keeps his expenses down to
low water mark all the time, and plays
to big houses. Mr.. MURPHY is pretty
well fixed in the way of an accuhula-
ton of this worlds goods. His fortune
is now rated at round Sl,0O0,OO0, and
7 he has investments which it is thought
in ten years time will increase his
owningS ten fold.
-
Mr. MURPHY has two good ideas of
theatrical management worthy of men
ton. In the first place, he thinks that
9 - Il l. Il Il